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Created Feb 21, 2011 01:43PM PST • Edited Feb 21, 2011 01:43PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Really Great 4.5

   An enjoyable clay-mation film that speaks volumes about relationships and trust. Although at first blush one could easily dimiss this as a child’s movie, in reality, several tough topics are handled, including mental illness, parental neglect, and the cruelity of others who are “different”. In the end, we understand that friendship comes in many shapes and forms, and that all of us need to have interaction with others, even if its just to validate our daily existence.

4. Acting

   Really Great 4.5

   Very nice vocal work done by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Toni Collette. Hoffmn in particular continues to impress me with his ability to adapt his persona and voice to the character he’s playing.

5. Male Stars Really Great 4.5

6. Female Stars Really Great 4.5

7. Female Costars Really Great 4.5

8. Male Costars Really Great 4.5

10. Film

    Really Great 4.5

    Amazing caly-mation work leads to the magical qualities of the film.

11. Direction Really Great 4.5

12. Play Really Great 4.5

13. Music Really Great 4.5

14. Visuals Really Great 4.5
15. Content

16. Edge

    Tame 1.5

    Some funny but innocent dialouge about the birds and the bees, along with Max’s inabilities to comprehend adult relationships and dating. Nothing too worrisome.

17. Sex Innocent 1.5

18. Violence Gentle 1.5

19. Rudeness Polite 1.5

21. Reality

    Surreal 2.2

    It’s clay-mation, so there is going to be a certain degree of “fake-ness”, but if you can get past that, you’ll find a rewarding film that speaks volumes.

22. Circumstantial Glib 2.0

23. Biological Surreal 2.5

    Characters with exagerated physical characteristics star, but are temepered with genuine and real human emotions.

24. Physical Glib 2.0